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CSV Architects completed the heritage rehabilitation of Observatory House, the new home to Natural Resources Canada’s Circle of Nations. The house is situated on Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm, a National Historic Site of Canada. This historic building now serves as a learning centre for First Nations, Inuit and Metis people. As well as rehabilitating the two and a half storey red brick building, a contemporary addition was constructed with an accessible entry, elevator and two exit stairs. Five original fireplaces were restored and are now a major feature in the interior. Authentic reproductions were made of all the baseboard, door and window casings. The Circle of Nations was officially opened on September 5, 2019.

History of Observatory House

The Observatory House is designated a Recognized Federal Heritage Building. The house was constructed adjacent to the Dominion Observatory in 1909 and served as the official residence of the Dominion Chief Astronomer. The first Chief astronomer was William Frederick King, who resided in the house with his wife, two sons and a daughter. King lived in the house until his death in 1916.

Optimizing Design

The client requested all three floors to be fully accessible and proposed that an elevator be constructed in the main entry hall. When it became apparent that the elevator would block the main stair railing as well as the feature leaded glass window, CSV was able to convince the client that this was not appropriate for the heritage interior. CSV proposed that both the main stair and the back stair should be retained as part of the original circulation of the house, and that two new exit stairs and an elevator serving all four levels should be constructed at the back of the building. The existing layout of rooms was respected as much as possible, with adjustments made for a barrier free path of travel, accessible washrooms and a kitchen/servery.

Sustainable Features
The sustainable design features include: building re-use; energy saving mechanical systems; energy saving LED light fixtures; water saving plumbing fixtures; natural materials; low emitting materials; low VOC paints and maximized daylight and views.

Photo credit to Krista Jahnke Photography

Back to Heritage and Adaptive Reuse Projects

Natural Resources Canada Circle of Nations

History of Observatory House

Optimizing Design

Sustainable Features